


First Blush

by mushishis



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: College AU, M/M, i told myself i wasn't gonna write fics after being mortally embarrassed by past me but here i am
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-22
Updated: 2015-06-03
Packaged: 2018-02-22 03:52:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,607
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2493398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mushishis/pseuds/mushishis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>a college au in which queer boys find comfort doing adult responsibilities at 2 am.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. let's not make it harder than it has to be

**Author's Note:**

> okay so . this is like my first fic and honestly my friend and i just bounce hc off each other and it turned into a college au and that turned into me writing a college au fic bc. well. why not  
> i have no idea how this html stuff works i'm really not that smart so bear w me  
> i might (probably will) make this into at least a few chapters but ? uh? tell me if you like it god i'm embarrassed w myself i'm so sorry  
> also: have any of y'all even been in a college laundry room before it's so fuckin loud how did kuroo manage to even fall asleep let alone for two and a half hours

Saturday night- well, Sunday morning. 2 am. Tsukishima was hoping there’d be no one else here. Usually, everyone else was out partying or sleeping by now. When he walked in on a guy with some _major_ bedhead, he almost walked right back out. He’d rather not deal with anyone right now, but, honestly, he was out of clean underwear and this really couldn't wait.

The boy rubbed his eyes and slammed the washer door shut, starting the washer’s cycle. The quiet room was quickly filled with the loud hammering caused by the machine. A second later, the door hurled back into place rather loudly behind Tsukishima. The boy looked up and nearly jumped when he saw him; he must not have realized there was someone else here. Tsukishima kept his eyes on the ground and took the machine across from the stranger’s. He set his clothes in the machine and left his quarters on the shelf just above the washer. There was an uncomfortable feeling that someone was watching him - no, more like _studying_ him. He stole a furtive glance at the boy sitting down in one of the bright plastic chairs.

He was staring directly at Tsukishima.

Startled, Tsukishima inserted the quarters and started the cycle. He didn't know what this guy wanted, but he seemed too sleepy to have come here with malicious intent. Personally,Tsukishima was too tired to stand up for the next 45 minutes, so he chose to sit on the only other chair left. Of course it was next to this guy (who was taking _way_ too much time looking at Tsukishima, he might add). He opened his mouth as if to something, then snapped it back shut as Tsukishima hurriedly put in his ear buds and pressed play on his phone.

He didn’t try to talk to Tsukishima through the wash and rinse cycles, but Tsukishima kept catching the boy stealing glances at him between looking at his phone and yawning. Tsukishima kept himself preoccupied by listening to his music and thinking up different excuses to use when his roommate would try to get him drunk again(which would be any time in the next twelve hours).By the time they got to the spin cycle, the boy got up and stretched. Tsukishima couldn’t help but notice his toned muscles through his thin shirt; he had a pair of sweatpants that hung loosely off his hips and Tsukishima looked away quickly, embarrassed with himself for letting his eyes linger for so long. Between his haphazard outfit and his, well, _intense_ choice of a hairstyle, this guy had a genuine air of weariness around him. Tsukishima had seen that the boy was annoyed by his messy black hair, as he often pouted as he pushed it out of his eyes. Knowing he didn’t enjoy his disorderly hair made his appearance less...obnoxious, in a way.

He felt a quick tap on his shoulder from a slender finger and looked up hastily, pulled out of his train of thought.. The boy was saying something, but he couldn’t hear it through his loud music. He removed one earbud and tilted his head inquisitively.

“Your timer went off. I don’t think you heard it.” He smiled slyly. “Actually, I’m positive you didn’t hear it, if you couldn’t hear me,” he added. _Never mind ___, Tsukishima thought. _There’s something about this guy that bugs me_.

Tsukishima responded with a quiet “thank you”, ignoring the smallest hint of heat he felt on his cheeks and the tips of his ears.

He walked back to the machines and reached for his quarters, then counted them, confused. Counted them again. He knew he brought just enough to pay for the washing machine and dryer. So why was he three quarters short?

He looked back up at the disheveled boy. _You_ , he thought. Suddenly the boy was unable to make eye contact with Tsukishima.

“Did you take my money?”

“Oh, you can speak?” He said nonchalantly. “I don’t know what happened to your quarters. But you can share with my machine; I don’t mind.” A shit-eating grin crept across his face, knowing Tsukishima had no choice. He faltered, wondering what his motive was. Sure, he was cute, Tsukishima admitted, but stealing his money at 3 am was definitely not charming in any way. He heaved a sigh and gathered his clothes into his basket. He started to advance towards the boy, then hesitated.

“Did you take my money?” He asked again.

He just shrugged, shooting a look at Tsukishima. “Look, do you want to use my dryer or not? I’m being nice, y’know.”

Tsukishima allowed himself a small huff of indignation and tossed his clothes into the dryer. Paused... _Wait_. This guy _totally_ stole his money. Why doesn’t he just take out his clothes and make him deal with it..? He glanced at the boy with the messy hair.

The boy seemed to know exactly what Tsukishima was thinking, because in one swift movement he slapped Tsukishima’s hand away from the dryer, flung the door shut and started the cycle, all the while shouting “no” repeatedly. Tsukishima was too stunned to stop him.

“It’s all mixed up now, so don’t bother,” he said, then laughed at Tsukishima’s glare. “God, you’re a crabby one.”

Tsukishima rolled his eyes and sat back down, raising his headphones to his ears again. “Wait! Uh, wait,” the boy blurted, stopping Tsukishima. He looked up at him as he sat next to Tsukishima and couldn’t help but notice he was actually....really, _really_ handsome. It pissed him off.

“What do you want?” Tsukishima said blandly, trying to keep his face indifferent.

“It’s just that, uh, I just remembered,” the boy started, raising up a single finger. “I saw your dinosaur underwear. It’s adorable,” he added, smiling slyly.

The next five seconds of his life Tsukishima could only describe as pure terror. He jerked his head in the other direction and desperately tried to hide the blush rising to the tips of his ears from sheer embarrassment. The other boy cocked his head to the side and watched him, clearly enjoying himself.

“My name is Kuroo Tetsurou, by the way,” he said after Tsukishima regained his composure.

“Wh- I don’t care!” Tsukishima shot back, allowing his emotions to seep into his voice for a short second, still mortified. “Just - just don’t tell anyone, alright?” He muttered.

“I have an idea. You tell me your name, and I won’t tell anyone that you wear such cute boxer-briefs,” Kuroo said. He regarded Tsukishima with a smirk, content with the knowledge that he knew how to push this stranger’s buttons.

Tsukishima waited a moment, not quite able to make eye contact with him. He thought about the consequences of giving out his name. They all traced back to complete and utter embarrassment. He sighed. “..Tsukishima.”

“Hm?”

“ _Tsukishima_. Tsukishima Kei.”

Kuroo’s tired eyes lit up and a broad, genuine grin began to spread across his face. He said Tsukishima’s name a few times to himself, either oblivious or completely apathetic to Tsukishima’s discomfort. Eventually, he looked back at him. “Well, your secret’s safe with me, Tsukishima. But could I call you something else, maybe? Tsukishima takes too long. What about...” Kuroo trailed off, clearly deep in thought. “How about Tsukki?” He said suddenly, flashing that full smile of his.

The redness that was finally dying down on Tsukishima’s face flared up again. “No. Definitely not,” he said immediately.

“Why not?”

He didn’t really have an answer, or a viable reason. There was just something about this guy, Kuroo, that set him on edge. Not many people were able to get on his nerves so quickly; fewer have ever seen him flustered. Kuroo annoyed him to no end, he knew that much. But... he didn’t necessarily mind it, he guessed. Kuroo wasn’t necessarily rude, and most people kept to their own. It was kind of refreshing.

“Well, since you’re not going to respond, I’m going to stick with Tsukki. I think it fits,” Kuroo said, cutting off his thoughts.

Tsukishima made a small noise in his throat and rolled his eyes again. He looked back at Kuroo. “Why are you doing laundry at 3 in the morning, anyways? You seem too...outgoing for that,” he asked, desperate to get the subject as far away from him as possible. “I mean, everyone’s out partying right now.”

“Well,” Kuroo heaved a sigh. Tsukishima knew at once this would last a while. “I’m a biology major, so I have to take Animal Physiology this semester,” Kuroo paused, smiling at the confusion on Tsukishima’s face. “I know, I’m the last person who looks smart enough to be a science major.”

“That’s not what I-”

“Sure, sure,” Kuroo waved him off with a smile, showing he wasn’t angry with Tsukishima. “Anyways, our midterm involves an essay. And we have to write it about a certain animal. Except we don’t get to choose - I got stuck with a fucking great jerboa.”

“What the hell is a great jerboa?” Tsukishima said, forgetting his discomfort towards Kuroo and turning to him.

“I don’t know!” Kuroo said loudly, his strained voice echoing in the empty room. “Something from Australia, I think. It’s not even that “great”. It’s super tiny. I hate this fucking class. Why did I choose to be a goddamn Physiological Biology major,” he muttered to himself. He took a moment to compose himself, turning his head back to Tsukishima. “Anyways. What’s your major?”

“Ah, um... I’m undecided.”

“Hm. You should probably look into choosing a major soon. Wait, are you a freshman?” Kuroo asked, almost angry.

“Yes. And? You aren’t, then?” Tsukishima shot back. What was with this guy?

“No, this is my last year in the dorms, since I’m a sophomore. I just got annoyed, having you be taller than me and all. But I should be a junior, I guess. Between my mom needing me at home and not having enough money, I stayed at home a year after graduation,” he said gently, his voice suddenly subdued. _He’s extremely open to a stranger in the laundry room_ , Tsukishima thought. Maybe that one muted sentence was just a fluke, though, because he abruptly changed the subject.“Which makes me two years your superior, Tsukki, so come to me for help whenever you need it,” he continued with an obnoxious smile.

Tsukishima bristled. There was something under Kuroo’s words that made him a bit uneasy, like there was always an ulterior motive behind everything he said. “Shut up,” he said quietly, flustered. Kuroo let out a small laugh.

After a few moments of silence in the warm room, Kuroo turned closer to Tsukishima and continued to talk, in fact, Tsukishima wasn’t sure if he would ever stop talking to him. Not that he would necessarily mind. His voice wasn’t grating on his ears, and it had a excited energy to it that somehow didn’t leave him exhausted after the fact. It was nearly like background noise that didn’t overwhelm him, for once. At some point, Tsukishima decided to face forward again, yet make sure Kuroo knew he was listening. After about ten minutes of Kuroo’s ramblings, his words began to slur together more. In the middle of another one of his stories, he began to lean against Tsukishima’s shoulder. He flared red again, thinking Kuroo was trying to embarrass him. His cheeks burned and he was about to yell at him when he realized that Kuroo had fallen asleep. His shoulders rose ever so slightly with each shallow breath. He seemed completely at ease, despite the dryer still loudly sounding off near the two of them. Tsukishima looked around in disbelief. It was nearly four AM, and here he was, with some stranger gently sleeping on his shoulder. He lifted a hand to his cheek, hoping the redness would go down in a few moments.

He could’ve moved, he could’ve woken up Kuroo, he could’ve, but...

Kuroo woke with a start and opened his eyes quickly, immediately regretting it. He squinted and held his head, sitting up slowly. Something warm was covering half of his body, and he was surprised to find one of his hands clutching a dark red sweatshirt gathered around his lap. He looked around and saw that he was the only one in the laundry room, though this sweatshirt definitely wasn’t his. He fumbled around for his phone and checked his phone - six AM. He groaned and covered his face with a hand, then got up. Reaching for the folding table next to him, he removed his hand and stared at the pile of folded laundry in his basket. _OH_ , he thought, a tired grin breaking across his face. At the top of the pile was a small note written on a ripped piece of notebook paper.

“You still owe me three quarters. I know that was you. Good luck on your essay.I checked to see what a great jerboa is. They’re not as bad as you made them sound.

-Tsukishima

P.S. Nice cat underwear.”

Kuroo held the sweatshirt a little tighter, covering his face with it to hide a smile on his face spread wide enough to hurt. _He’s so cute_. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay so . this is like my first fic and honestly my friend and i just bounce hc off each other and it turned into a college au and that turned into me writing a college au fic bc. well. why not  
> i have no idea how this html stuff works i'm really not that smart so bear w me  
> i might (probably will) make this into at least a few chapters but ? uh? tell me if you like it god i'm embarrassed w myself i'm so sorry  
> also: have any of y'all even been in a college laundry room before it's so fuckin loud how did kuroo manage to even fall asleep let alone for two and a half hours


	2. i didn't wanna tell you i was jealous, jealous and alone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> kuroo's kind of an ass, but also a sweetheart. tsukishima is entirely embarrassed and eternally annoyed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i need to stop posting these at like 2 am. yeesh  
> aughg okay sorry this took longer than thought and it's not even long ummm hahh a my bad  
> quick warning there's a brief mention of drinking so!!! please be careful if alcohol mentions make ya uncomfortable

Tsukishima collapsed on his bed. It had been a late Thursday night (well, Friday morning, technically. He needed to stop staying out so late.) and his roommate had dragged him to another party, insisting “it’ll be fun!” and that “no one’s ever going to like you if you’re always glaring and never drinking”. Tsukishima had began with a huff that he wasn’t glaring, he was just looking, but that was enough to scare his roommate away and leave him to fend for himself at some stranger’s party.

So he got drunk. And, God, did he already regret it. He tossed his glasses onto the desk next to his bed and pinched the bridge of his nose. One deep breath in, one deep breath out. His roommate wasn’t back from the party yet. He was thankful that he’d get some peace and quiet, assuming that his roommate would spend the night at someone’s house anyways. He usually did on nights like these - he was too drunk to bother going home. Tsukishima didn’t mind, really, and he did care about his roommate, he was just too.. too loud. Tsukishima couldn’t stand any noises he couldn’t control. It freaked him out, honestly.... It was why he always had some sort of music playing in his ears. To him, it was calming. It kept him from snapping often. To others, it was yet another barrier that separated him from people.

This hangover was going to kick his ass in the morning. What bothered him, though, was that he wasn’t thinking about tomorrow, or about how he felt fuzzy around the edges, or about his classes tomorrow. It was nearly three AM and he was thinking about _him_. And there it was. The uneasiness that spread over Tsukishima when he thought about Kuroo. He was always immediately on edge when he thought about him. Not in a way that made him feel unsafe or upset; he never thought Kuroo was dangerous. But the fact that Kuroo was able to rile him up with hardly any effort bothered him. The fact that Tsukishima folded his laundry and didn’t realize what he was doing until halfway through his task bothered him. The fact that he willingly gave him his sweatshirt (after being careful to not wake him up) and took care of some rude stranger bothered him.

Tsukishima made a small face at the ceiling. No, Kuroo wasn’t rude. He bugged him, but there was no malignant tones behind his small jabs. If anything, he was mischievous, almost like a child. After a moment of studying the blurred ceiling, he checked his phone, wincing at the harsh light that paled his face. It was 2:52. AM. He threw his arm across his face, allowing a small sigh to escape.

A quick, loud succession of knocks on his door grated against Tsukishima's’ ears and forced him to open his eyes, bright light making him wince. Sunlight filtered through the small slits of the blinds and Tsukishima struggled to roll off the bed. Immediately, his head began to pound and he felt sick. The blanket got dragged along with him unintentionally, and he let it drape around him as he dragged himself to the door. Whoever it was began to knock again and he made a small grunt. “I’m coming; shut up already,” he muttered. He unlocked the door and turned the knob, letting it swing back towards him. Tsukishima squinted to see the figure better, wishing he had remembered to grab his glasses. He didn’t really need them, though - he was almost positive who it was. A somewhat shorter person stood in front of him, dark hair jetting out at strange angles. They smiled broadly.

“Hey, Tsukki,” Kuroo said happily. “Did you just wake up? It’s already noon.”

“Yes, I just woke up, you asshole,” Tsukishima sputtered out as a response, angry and still in an exhausted daze. His eyes widened slightly. “Wait. Did you say noon?”

Kuroo laughed loudly, making Tsukishima wince again. “That’s not good, Tsukki,” he said in a mocking voice. “You can’t let yourself miss classes whenever you want.” He flashed him a playful smile. Tsukishima glowered at him, beginning to shut the door on him. Kuroo panicked and shoved half his body in between the door and the frame, basically forcing himself into Tsukishima’s room to avoid being squished.

“Don’t just shut the door on people!” He yelled once he was out of harm’s way, his voice nearly going up an octave.

“Then don’t barge into people’s rooms!” Tsukishima spit back, holding his head and breathing deeply.

Kuroo looked around, pensive. “Hm. Guess I am sort of in your room, aren’t I.” He leaned against the door now and gave Tsukishima a once-over. “Nice boxers, by the way,” he said nonchalantly, nodding at the bare skin and cloth showing from what the blanket didn’t cover.

Tsukishima spluttered out an incomprehensible response and pulled the blanket tightly around him, the tips of his ears burning uncomfortably. He had forgotten that in his drunken stupor he had managed to peel off his jeans shortly before passing out on his bed.

“Wow, Tsukki. You really like showing me your underwear, don’t you,” Kuroo laughed, shooting another one of his coy smiles at Tsukishima. He felt his stomach tighten for a second before he regained his former anger.

“Why didn’t you say something earlier? _Why_ are you even _here_?” Tsukishima said over his shoulder as he grabbed a pair of pajama bottoms to cover himself with.

Kuroo looked at the ceiling with a smirk as Tsukishima changed, as if he was playing along with a childish game. “Well, I came to return the sweatshirt you let me borrow,” he replied, gesturing towards the hoodie he was wearing. He shoved his hands into it. “It’s really warm.”

By now, Tsukishima had discarded the blanket and put on his glasses, able to finally glare at Kuroo appropriately. “And why are you still wearing it?”

Kuroo shrugged. “It’s comfy, and I was cold. What’s wrong? Does it bother you knowing I wear your clothes?” He asked. Tsukishima couldn’t tell if Kuroo was trying to get a rise out of him, or if he was genuinely curious if he had upset Tsukishima.

He glanced at the hoodie on Kuroo. He was right, he _did_ seem warm and comfortable. He reached up to push his hair out of his face, and Tsukishima couldn’t help but see that the sleeves were just a smidge too long for his arms. The cuffs rested on the inside of his hands, but he didn’t make any attempt to fix them. Seeing Kuroo wear his clothes gave Tsukishima a quick, intense jerk in his abdomen, and he hurried to look away from him. He tried to remind himself that he was angry, angry for Kuroo storming into his room, for staring at him when he was half undressed, angry for his borrowing his sweatshirt for so long-

“It smells good, by the way. A little bit like a campfire, though,” Kuroo suddenly stated. Tsukishima cocked his head. That’s right, he had gone to a bonfire that Yamaguchi had dragged him to a week or two ago. Did it really still smell that strongly? “Not that campfires are a bad smell; I like it, actually. It’s nice. I go camping sometimes. I mean, I used to. With family.” He was babbling. Tsukishima saw that his cheeks were slightly tinged pink.

“If you like it that much, why are you giving it back? How did you even find my room?” Tsukishima was now on the offensive, having recovered from being half-naked and barely conscious. _This guy isn’t as cool as he thinks, is he._

“Ah, right,” Kuroo began, like he’d forgotten why he had invaded Tsukishima’s personal space. “Turns out, if you knock on every RA’s door at 3 AM, they’ll be annoyed enough to tell you who lives on their floor.” He smiled proudly. “Pretty smart, huh.”

“Pretty obnoxious.”

Kuroo’s grin deflated. “Aw, c’mon, that’s not fair. I tried really hard to find you!” He said, indignant.

“You didn’t have to!” Tsukishima let out a huff. He was unnerved, honestly. No one should go to this length for a stranger. No one would go to this length for _him_.

“But I did?” Kuroo asked, rather than said. He scratched the back of his head, legitimately confused. “I mean, I can’t just take your sweatshirt and never give it back. I’m actually pretty nice, even if you don’t think so, y’know.”

That’s one way to make someone feel lousy.

Tsukishima mumbled a pathetic “thanks” and rubbed the back of his neck. Kuroo began to pull the hoodie over his head.

“Wait,” Tsukishima said. Kuroo paused, despite looking extremely uncomfortable. His right arm was stuck above his head, and his hair was pushed down on his forehead from the clothing around his head. Tsukishima’s eyes lowered for a fraction of a second, spotting a thin strip of skin showing between Kuroo’s sweatpants and his shirt being pulled up with the hoodie. Tsukishima suddenly felt dirty, inappropriate. He rushed to look back up and mentally flinched. Kuroo was staring at him intensely. Which meant he saw Tsukishima’s eyes wander. Despite Kuroo looking ridiculous, his eyes were unsettling.

“Tsukki, can you tell me what it is? My arm’s getting tired.” Kuroo broke the silence, his eyes no longer malicious.

“Uh, you... can keep the sweatshirt. I was gonna give it away anyways,” Tsukishima lied. _Why am I saying that?_ he thought. He loved that sweatshirt. He got it back in high school. He was frustrated and confused with himself, but... He wanted Kuroo to keep it. He tried to rationalize why. He couldn’t.

Kuroo’s face lit up like he’d been given a Christmas gift. “Wow, really? Thanks, Tsukki!” He said happily, pulling it back over his head. He was positively beaming.

“It’s just a sweatshirt. And don’t call me Tsukki.”

“Say, Tsukki, do you have any more classes today?” Kuroo plowed through Tsukishima’s sentence.

Tsukishima allowed himself heave another sigh of annoyance. “No, I slept through Public Speaking, I guess, if it’s already noon.”

Kuroo smiled. “Good! Then that means you have time to hang out with me, right?” He flopped onto Tsukishima’s unkempt bed (when did he take off his shoes?) and propped himself up on one elbow, looking at Tsukishima.

“N- I don’t know. Why would I want to hang out with someone like you?” Tsukishima replied. He realized he probably had bed head and turned away from him, looking for a brush. When he looked back, Kuroo was staring at him with a flat expression. He rolled his eyes and Tsukishima had to hold back a small simper. It was a little fun making digs at Kuroo.

“You look hungover. You need a day to relax,” Kuroo said, turning to lie on his back. “I’m great at helping people relax,” he added. Tsukishima felt his skin crawl with annoyance. All Kuroo ever did was make him tense, he thought bitterly. Even that sentence made his shoulders hunch over a fraction of an inch.

“C’mon. I’ll take you to that cafe on Main Street. I’ll treat you, even. Please? Tsukki, please?” Kuroo was practically whining at this point. Tsukishima had a feeling this wouldn't let up.

“Why do you care so much?” He muttered to himself, scratching his nose.

He must not have said it quietly enough, though, because Kuroo bolted back up, serious once more. “I just think... you’re interesting. There’s a lot more than you’re showing. You’re really not that mean, I know it.”

“...You’re gross.”

Kuroo broke into a heavy laugh. “See? It doesn’t hurt when you say things like that. C’mon, let’s go get some coffee. Maybe you can help me with my thesis or something.” He stood back up, closer to Tsukishima.

“Why on god’s green earth would I help you with something like a thesis,” Tsukishima grumbled. “I don’t even have a major; what makes you think I could help you with something like that?”

Kuroo shrugged and scratched his head again. Abruptly, he snapped his fingers and began to show his teeth in a broad smile. “That’s it! I could help you find a major you really like. There’s a bunch of options. How about that? Yeah? You need to figure one out soon, anyways.” Christ, he was nearly bouncing on the balls of his feet. How could such a tall, intimidating person act like an asinine child?

Tsukishima placed a hand on his hip, rolling his eyes. There was no way Kuroo was going to back away from this. Kuroo may grate on his nerves sometimes - always - but maybe he really could help him find the right major. The guy knew him pretty well if he knew his soft spots, and it couldn’t hurt to have some input from other people for once. “Fine. Fine,” he said finally.

Kuroo practically dragged Tsukishima out of his dorm right then and there. Tsukishima didn’t hesitate to smack his hand away (“That was too hard, Tsukki! So mean!” “I don’t care. And don’t call me Tsukki.”) before grabbing a jacket and heading out with an impartial air around him.

Kuroo talked the whole way, grinned the whole time. The only time he dropped his act was when he made a joke about Tsukishima’s choice in underwear and had to drag him back to the cafe after he turned around and began to walk back home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so. okay  
> sorry this one took so long between writing a speech and changing my major i've been a little busy lmao (i added a minor too...why,,.) BUT ANYWAYS i really love hearing feedback so lemme know what y'all think!!! i'll try to write more soon-ish ? yeah. hope you enjoyed it!! (and let's bear with me and assume tsukki is taller in college than kuroo. like noticeably taller. trust me)  
> (title of the chapter is from life is simple in the moonlight by the strokes!! i feel silly having serious sounding chapter titles but i kinda like it honestly)


	3. two falling sparks; one willing fool

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lmao there was supposed to be more and this was supposed to be like. a few different scenes of them growing close together but uh. i haven't updated in a while so ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ sorry goes to show how dependable i am  
> (and thanks again for all the kudos and stuff!! i rlly appreciate it. y'all are cute)

Tsukishima sat down at a table in the empty, muted cafe. Or, rather, Kuroo sat him down, pushing on his shoulders until he was in a rickety old chair. Kuroo was on cloud nine and Tsukishima was honestly bewildered as to why. It was just a sweatshirt that he gave to Kuroo, not an offer to pay for his tuition.  
Kuroo looked down at him, still standing. He raked his hand through his hair and looked at Tsukishima, locking eyes with him for a moment too long - _but that’s probably just my imagination,_ Tsukishima thought. “So what do you want? I’ll get you anything- well, uh, I’ll get you something, at least. Anything under 10 dollars. Because I only have 8 bucks on me. I’m kinda broke.”  
“...I can see that,” Tsukishima said after a moment, looking at Kuroo’s nervous face. “I’ll just get a caramel mocha then. I guess.”  
“That I can do,” Kuroo replied, walking away to join the short line to place their order. Tsukishima couldn’t help but let a small huff out of his nose as he watched Kuroo dig in his pockets for spare change. There was something amusing about him counting a handful of pennies with such determination on his face.  
Tsukishima took out his phone and began to play with it aimlessly, zoning out in a matter of seconds and ignoring Kuroo constantly stealing glances and small smiles at him.  
 _It’s cold._ Tsukishima regretted giving away his favorite sweatshirt to this guy. At least the mocha will warm him up.  
After a few minutes, he felt the table shake slightly but didn’t bother to look up for a few seconds. Kuroo placed Tsukishima’s drink in front of him and sat in the questionable wooden chair across from him, wincing slightly as it dangerously creaked under his weight. But-  
“Where’s your drink?” Tsukishima asked and grabbed his, blowing on it softly.  
“Oh, uh, I didn’t have enough money. I just got your drink,” Kuroo muttered, embarrassed. Tsukishima jerked the cup away from his lips, suddenly feeling slightly guilty. Kuroo quickly perked up. “But I’m getting paid tomorrow! So it’s fine,” he rushed to add. “So don’t feel bad.”  
With that, Tsukishima rolled his eyes and took a sip. He glanced back at Kuroo. “Where do you work?”  
“At the library on campus. They have really weird hours, but I like it there. It’s quiet and I can spend hours organizing the return books and no one cares.”  
Tsukishima acknowledged his reply with a nod and took another sip of his drink. He looked around the small shop. Other than an old couple and the workers, no one was here. The windows had all their curtains tied back, so the room was flooded with warm light. The coffee machines were actually silent, considering how dead this place was.He continued to search the cafe, trying to find something to talk about. He was drawing a blank. He _could_ ask about the midterm Kuroo had to write, but just thinking about his laundry night made him fidgety.  
Though he supposed he didn't really have a choice. He knew virtually nothing about this person. Right. He knew nothing about Kuroo. So why was he with him? Why did he let him buy a drink for him? Why did he give Kuroo his favorite damn sweatshirt? He glimpsed at Kuroo and immediately made eye contact. Tsukishima jolted ever so slightly, put off by that intense stare Kuroo shot at him from time to time.  
Kuroo was watching him, waiting for him to say something. Tsukishima pulled a face of irritation, though it was mostly because the baggy sweatshirt on Kuroo was distracting him for some reason. Kuroo began to smile, he began to smile like he knew something Tsukishima didn’t. It pissed him off.  
He cleared his throat. “So... how did your essay go? About the great jerboas,” Tsukishima finally said, satisfied that he sounded completely indifferent about Kuroo. Immediately Kuroo's attention was averted and his face lit up.  
“I fucking _nailed_ that essay. I did _so_ fucking good, man,” Kuroo nearly shouted, slamming his hands on the table. The old couple in the corner turned with a startled look.. Tsukishima regretted asking. “Great jerboas are so much more interesting than any damn cat or dog, anyways,” he continued. His chest nearly puffed out with pride.  
“...Right,” Tsukishima managed between sips. “Then your major’s going well.”  
“Yeah! Definitely. Speaking of which, Tsukki,” Kuroo began, then smirked at the distaste on Tsukishima’s face. “You should take some time to figure out your major. It’s not good to be some indecisive bum.”  
Tsukishima’s look of distaste turned into aversion. He glared down at his cup and tried to pretend he didn’t care, tried to pretend this wasn’t the 30th time he’d heard this lecture from someone.  
“I’m not indecisive. It’s just that nothing...fits. Yet. None of it seems right.” Tsukishima set down his cup, playing with his sleeve. “My parents want me to go into business. I mean, I’d probably be good at it.”  
Kuroo focused his severe gaze on Tsukishima once more. No, rather than severe, it’s almost as if he was fake-scolding Tsukishima. He opened his mouth and began to laugh when Tsukishima rolled his eyes, making an exasperated grunt in his throat.  
“What, am I really that predictable? Do you already know what I’m going to say?” Kuroo asked once he was done snorting.  
“Everyone says the same thing. Do what you want, do what makes you happy. Sure.”  
Kuroo smiled knowingly and reached across the table, stealing Tsukishima’s cup and taking a sip. Tsukishima quickly took it back despite Kuroo’s whining, a rude simper spreading across his face.  
“You don’t get to give a stranger a free drink and expect you’ll get anything from it.”  
“But we’re not strangers! Besides, I’m always this nice.”  
The couple in the corner smiled at them as they continued to argue.  
\--  
It was raining. Hard. The trees were bending dangerously low in the wind and the entire sky was overcast, causing the world to look infinitely darker and melancholic. Tsukishima hesitated in the doorways between the dorm lobby and the outside world, regretting every fiber of his being for getting up this morning. He hadn't bothered to check the weather outside of his window and was only in sweatpants and a short sleeve shirt. A small girl avoided eye contact with him and scurried past as he glared out the glass doors for a solid twenty seconds. There were ten minutes before class started. He had a test today. He could take the zero and go back to bed in his room, but..  
Two minutes into making his decision to trudge his way to class Tsukishima realized he had made a grave mistake. His gray sweatpants was soon spattered into a darker shade from the rain pelting against him, while the wind whipped his hair around and left him chilled to the bone. He didn't bother looking up, since his glasses were rendered useless from the specks on them. It left everything just as blurry as his vision was without them. The sky remained cloudy and gray, occasionally sending a burning bolt of white light across the earth, making everything eerily bright and detailed. He began to grumble to himself about how his roommate never bothered to tell him about the weather when the rain causing him to flinch suddenly came to a halt.  
So did he.  
He looked to his right hurriedly, nearly jumping when he saw Kuroo smiling, nearly shoving his face away when he saw how smug he looked. And warm. He had a hoodie on - _my hoodie_ , Tsukishima thought bitterly - and a jacket on over that.  
“Hi, Tsukki,” Kuroo said, his voice nearly dripping with contentedness. Disgusting.  
Tsukishima didn’t dignify his greeting with a response, opting to begin walking and force Kuroo to move his feet as well. He felt a faint sense of amusement when he noticed Kuroo having to raise his umbrella a bit higher to compensate for Tsukishima’s height.  
“It’s raining,” Kuroo stated matter-of-factly. He held back a petty snort when he saw the annoyance register on Tsukishima’s face. The smile on Kuroo’s began to slide off of his face, however, and he found himself studying Tsukishima and the careful way he cleaned his glasses. He looked angry, and he still projected a daunting aura, but it was less severe when he focused on this small task. It was interesting to watch.  
An extremely powerful gust of wind took them both off guard and blew Kuroo’s umbrella backwards, leaving them vulnerable yet again to the rain. Kuroo frantically tried to fix the umbrella while Tsukishima looked on unimpressed. After he placed his glasses back in position, he sighed and reached for the umbrella without warning. His fingers brushed Kuroo’s as he took it from him and fixed it in a matter of seconds. He thought Kuroo’s fingers had flinched in retreat, though it was probably his imagination.  
He handed it back to Kuroo with the faintest trace of a smile on his face. “You’re really kind of hopeless, aren’t you?” He said without any malice. Kuroo shot him a look, scoffing.  
“I’m actually _very_ talented. I can cook. I make a mean omelette, believe it or not. And I can play volleyball. And eat an entire box of donuts in one sitting.”  
“That’s disgusting.”  
“No, it’s impressive.”  
Tsukishima let out a huff through his nose as a reply.  
“So, Tsukki, have you figured out your major yet?”  
“For the love of God, I am not talking about this right now.”  
Kuroo grinned and playfully bumped the top of Tsukishima’s head with the umbrella. “You’ll figure it out. Looks like we’re here.” He stopped near the steps of the hall of science. Tsukishima offered a muttered thank you and began to turn, then stopped when Kuroo didn’t follow him.  
“Don’t you have a class here?” He asked, perplexed.  
Kuroo simply shook his head. “I have humanities today. In the communications building.”  
“But that’s on the other side of campus,” Tsukishima said, perplexed.  
“I know. But I didn’t want you to walk all the way to class sopping wet,” Kuroo admitted, no shame in his voice. He checked his phone. “But I’m going to be late, and so will you. I”ll see you later, Tsukki!” He yelled over his shoulder as he ran off in the opposite direction.  
Tsukishima spun on his heel and walked into the building, telling himself his cheeks were red from the cold until he believed it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OKAY WOW i thought this was a lot longer..,,, i'm trash this is rlly short i'm gonna have to actually try one of these days  
> god bless kuroo and his money issues because he is in fact 100% me


	4. try delusion for a while

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> it's flu season and everyone is dying. well, not everyone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> alright here's the 4th chapter!!!! i hope i'm done dropping off the face of the planet for now  
> enjoy the new chapter!!! thanks again for all the great comments and shit, y'all keep me going. if the formatting's strange lemme know. i have problems operating computers often apparently
> 
> ((also can't remember if i gave y'all this but my blog url/twitter name is dopadee, here you will find weird ramblings and awful puns but mostly me crying - esp on twitter. feel free to follow!!))

Tsukishima sat at his desk, working on a particularly nasty set of math problems that were due the next day. He took off his glasses and rubbed his tired eyes. It was only 3 PM, but he was struggling to just focus on one problem for more than twenty seconds at a time. Tsukishima’s anxiety was spiking today, and between the load of homework he was given and midterms starting this week,functioning normally today was asking a lot from him. He couldn’t help but be restless. And if his roommate didn’t stop snoring, he might just commit murder this afternoon.  
A loud clattering sound caused by his phone vibrating on his desk caused Tsukishima to jump and angrily glance down at the screen. It lit up, reading: 

**(1) new message**  
from: Kuroo  
tsukkiiiiiiiiiii 

He rubbed his temples and typed out a quick response, tossing his phone back onto his bed.  
Kuroo’s cell rung a few notes next to his head. He groaned and grabbed it, then lit up slightly when he saw Tsukishima had replied. In all honesty, he hadn’t expected a text in return, let alone one so rapidly sent back.

**from: tsukki <3  
what.**

Tsukishima checked his phone a few minutes later, sighing in irritation seconds afterwards.

**from: Kuroo  
i’m sick i’m dying the world is ending i can’t breathe out of my left nostril and also i’m bored**

Why in God’s name did Tsukishima ever cave and give Kuroo his phone number. With his head throbbing slightly harder, he thought about the three weeks where Kuroo was unrelenting. The guy had no mercy - every chance he got, he would ask for it. They always managed to magically run into each other(Kuroo claimed it was pure coincidence, then drag him off somewhere to hang out). After putting up with it for so long, Tsukishima figured it was a little reasonable to finally comply and give it to him. It would at least get Kuroo off his back, right? Or, at least, that’s what he told himself. Besides, having someone to text during his three hour long lectures somehow made them more manageable. Rather, having someone badger him with texts every few minutes during a lecture made it impossible to pay attention. And in his anthropology class, that was a blessing. Not that he’d ever admit it. He allowed a small huff of exasperation before answering his text.

**from: tsukki <3  
that’s nice.**

A few moments later, Tsukishima’s phone vibrated continuously. He watched it for a short while before realizing the screen had lit up because he had a call. After hesitating, he snatched the phone and headed out of his room into the hallway, pressing the answer button.  
“What.”  
“Hello to you, too.” Kuroo’s teasing voice came out of the other end. Even through the phone, he sounded _awful_. His voice was nasally and his breath sounded heavy and grating through the receiver. “Tsukki, _please_. I’ll pay you or whatever, just - can you buy me some medicine or something?”  
“Do it yourself,” Tsukishima leaned against the wall, rubbing his eye again. He didn’t want to touch anyone sick with a ten foot pole, let alone Kuroo. “And stop calling me that, honestly.”  
Kuroo started groaning through the phone and Tsukishima promptly hung up. A few moments later, Kuroo called back and Tsukishima waited a moment before picking it up.  
“Just have your roommate grab your medicine,” Tsukishima said, pinching the bridge of his nose.  
“I don’t have one,” Kuroo snapped back, his voice thick with congestion.  
“Don’t you have other friends to ask? I’m busy.”  
“Not really. I mean, they probably wouldn’t help me.”  
“Just drink some water and go to bed, Kuroo,” Tsukishima offered. “I need to go. Bye.” He ended the call and rubbed the back of his neck. He couldn’t help but feel guilty. Kuroo sounded pathetic. And Tsukishima knew Kuroo wouldn’t hesitate to help him if the roles were reversed. He opened the door to his room. He walked back in and glanced at the pile of blankets and limbs that was his roommate. Glanced at his work. Glanced around the tiny room that was suffocating him today.  
Damn it.  
\--  
Kuroo lived just three levels above Tsukishima, the ninth level of their residence hall. He decided to take Tsukki’s advice and get some sleep for as long as he could. Despite his inability to breathe and his aching head, he succeeded in catching 30 minutes of shut-eye or so. When he realized he was awake yet again, he released a small groan and tried to rub his eyes with one of his hands, missing on his first try. The pressure from his sinuses felt like his skull could be crushed any second now. He let out a second tiny moan. It was times like these when he really missed his mom and some homemade soup.  
After hesitating, he slowly sat up on his bed. As he did so, he swatted away several balled up tissues off of his bed. His eyes were slanted and the rest of his body physically shied away from all the light and cold air in his room. He thought of his past-self with annoyance for not closing the blinds. Kuroo leaned against the wall and tilted his head back. In a way, it made it easier to breathe. He decided to attempt inhaling through his nose again and heard the disgusting sound that consequently came with a nose full of gunk. Immediately, he thought -  
“Gross.”  
Kuroo nearly fell out of his bed. He gripped the mattress’ edge and fully opened his eyes for the first time since his nap. Once they were finished slowly adjusting, he saw where the voice had come from. In the corner was Tsukishima, sitting in Kuroo’s dingy, old round chair. He was wearing a cardigan and jeans, but his shoes were off. The simple, clean style of Tsukishima clashed harshly with the worn appearance of the chair, though he seemed quite comfortable in it. His trademark headphones were settled around his collarbones, rather than snug over his ears. His indifferent, calculating gaze was still in place, however. And from the looks of it, he was entertaining himself with his phone. Kuroo indulged himself with a few more seconds of watching Tsukishima’s unchanging demeanor before moving on to questioning.  
“Hi, Tsukki...?” He began, forcing himself to stay on topic. His mind (and eyes) started to drift back to Tsukishima. He mentally scorned himself for not focusing on what was important here. “Why - um, how -”  
“Your door was unlocked. And someone on your floor told me where you lived. It wasn’t that hard; I just asked where the annoying person with the awful hair lived,” Tsukishima explained in a detached tone. Kuroo rolled his eyes, ignoring the jab. “And I don’t care how sick you are, I won’t hesitate to hit you if you call me Tsukki again.”  
Kuroo rubbed his nose and winced at the rawness from using so many tissues. “Okay,” he said, sniffling. “But, uh, why are you here?”  
Tsukishima was already back to staring indifferently at his phone. “It’s on your desk,” he answered without looking up.  
On Kuroo’s desk was a plastic bag full of medicine directly from the heavens. Sinus relief, cough drops, sleeping aids, decongestant, everything. He felt like crying. “Tsukki, thank you so much.”  
Tsukishima offered a small shrug, glancing at Kuroo. “It’s fine. You look pretty shitty, honestly. I mean, your hair’s worse than usual. And you’re really pale. Plus you have bags under your-”  
“Okay, yes, I look awful. Thank you,” Kuroo leaned his head back against the wall. A small smile tugged at his lips. After trying to - and failing to - take a deep breath, he rolled his head so he could look back at Tsukishima. “Didn’t you say you were busy?”  
“Yes, but your room seemed like a better option than mine. I have a snoring roommate, whereas you only have a stuffy nose. You’re less annoying, for once in your life.” Tsukishima glanced around the dorm. “Speaking of which, why don’t you have a roommate? You even have an extra bed here,” he asked, gesturing at the bare mattress next to him.  
Kuroo waited a while to respond, taking his time to crawl out of his bed. He pulled his shirt down, tugged his sweatpants up. He began to rummage through his bag, then paused. He noticed underneath the plastic bag was one of his open sketchbooks, the pages covered in life studies and anatomy sketches. He felt complete and utter panic in that second of realization. He grabbed the book and threw it into a drawer, then slammed it shut. Tsukishima looked back up, confused. Kuroo let out a strange laugh, then tried to clear his throat. “I-I, uh, I _had_ a roommate. He left to study abroad halfway through the semester. He’s not coming back. I think. Well, not til next year, at least,” he uttered in quick, short breaths. He didn’t remember it being this hard to breathe any other time he was sick. Maybe it was just the stress of Tsukishima possibly seeing his drawings. Or maybe it was just Tsukishima. “Aha!” He nearly shouted. He grabbed the box of decongestants and ripped it open. They were thick pills, two to each dosage.  
“I didn’t grab any wa-” Tsukishima paused. He grimaced with distaste as he watched Kuroo swallow them dry instead.  
“It’s fine,” he replied with a shaky grin. “But really, why did you bother to come? I didn’t think you would.” He settled into his desk chair and draped a blanket around him. He stared at Tsukishima and rubbed his eyes, still fairly out of sorts.  
Tsukishima let out a tiny grunt. _Cute_ , Kuroo thought. “It doesn’t really matter, does it?”  
“It’s because you like me, isn’t-”  
“I’m leaving.”  
“No, Tsukki! Please don’t go,” Kuroo tried to yell, though through his congestion all he could muster was a weak whine.  
Tsukishima rolled his eyes. “I’m not actually going anywhere, you weird old man.”  
Kuroo pulled the blanket closer up to his face at that. He offered Tsukishima a warm smile. “Thank you.”  
A strange feeling, like an abrupt shock, ran through Tsukishima’s body at Kuroo’s wobbly expression. He opted to look back down at his phone. “Grab a tissue. Your nose is running; it’s disgusting.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay finally here's an update after being gone forever lmao I'M SORRY but finals came out of nowhere and...they were sometin' else i'll tell ya that much ANYWAYS sorry for the wait and the fact that this work is so disconnected ? it's like screenshots of their lives and it makes me look lazy if anything lmao  
> (and my computer froze so i had to redo this upload again....life)  
> i was gonna make the chapter title from cough syrup by young the giant because i'm fucking hilarious but then i was like..nah. INSTEAD it's from illuminated by hurts
> 
> despite all that i hope you enjoyed this chapter and i love hearing comments from y'all!!! hopefully i'll see you soon :^)


	5. i don't look up anymore and i don't know why

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> it's 3 am. again. and tsukki's doing his laundry. again. these kids need better scheduling skills

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT'S BEEN 34 YEARS SINCE MY LAST UPDATE IT'S BEEN SO LONG. SO LONG. SORRY
> 
> i don't even have an excuse. anyways. sorry about this all and i hope you enjoy this chapter regardless!!!
> 
> ps if u notice/care the names for the contacts have changed. it just shows that time has passed or something. they're friends. it's cool

**from: Kuroo**

u up?

**from: tsukki!**

unfortunately, yes.

**from: Kuroo**

wow, loser

**from Kuroo**

what are you doing tho it’s almost two

**from: tsukki!**

laundry.

Ten minutes later and Tsukishima is greeted by Kuroo and a warm cup of coffee. He’s in sweatpants - that’s no surprise - but his hair is down and about as normal as possible for Kuroo. _It must really be bedhead_ , he mused. They sat in the stained plastic chairs opposite the running drying machine. Kuroo looked at Tsukishima, Tsukishima at the laundry room.

“Awake at two AM on a Tuesday and all you’re doing is laundry. Somehow I’m not surprised,” Kuroo conveyed between small sips of too-sweet coffee.

“Well, what were you doing if you so willingly came up here to join me? Which, by the way, was not asked of you,” Tsukishima said, only somewhat annoyed and slightly grateful. 

“Thinking,” he answered without giving a further explanation. 

“...Thinking.”

“Mhm. Are you okay?”

Tsukishima drank his coffee, ignoring the question.

“Tsukki?”

“I’m fine. You’re too loud.”

Kuroo gave a weary smile at that. He was probably right . Kuroo was good at being quiet, really, he was, but he was too easily bored by silence. Still, he tried to mind his own for now. Tsukishima never seemed to be in the mood for Kuroo, but today he looked like breathing alone had tired him out. Kuroo wondered if he’d end up snapping or crying. He went with the former; he couldn’t manage Tsukishima crying easily. 

It took no time before Kuroo was back to his habit of watching Tsukishima. Watching everything, really. It was a sort of talent he’d had even as a child. He could find ticks people had and signals others gave off without hardly trying. It came in handy, he had to admit, but mostly it pissed others off. 

“So....” Kuroo tried after a long stretch of silence. Tsukishima narrowed his eyes behind his glasses. Kuroo couldn’t help but notice the cute way he pursed his lips; just barely. _Not that I... stare at his lips any longer than any other normal person would._

“So. What.”

“Uh... Major?”

“Ah. Well. I thought about it, yeah.”

Kuroo lit up and leaned closer to Tsukishima despite himself. Tsukishima arched away instinctively and pulled on the bottom of his shirt - a nervous habit, Kuroo decided. “I want to... I want to be an elementary teacher,” Tsukishima rushed out, his normally clear voice uncharacteristically hard to understand. He could feel the tips of his ears reddening. _What an embarrassing thing to say._

He looked back at Kuroo after a few moments of uncomfortable silence. Kuroo was staring back, head cocked to the side. The beginnings of a smile had creeped onto his face.

“What?”

“I’m trying to figure out if you’re being serious or not.”

“Well, I am,” Tsukishima huffed. “There were some twits I went to school with that always begged for my help with their studies. They were lousy regardless, but... I kind of enjoyed teaching others, I guess.”

Kuroo was listening despite laughter threatening to spill over his lips. He pictured Tsukishima in all his sullen glory, stiff as a statue while kids used his body as a playground. An ugly snort came out of his mouth and he quickly covered it, staring at Tsukishima. His hands were balled into fists and his blush had worsened, beginning to creep down his neck.

“Sorry, sorry, I just figured you’d want to be, I dunno, _not_ a teacher,” Kuroo said, still giggling. “I mean, imagine the kids! They’d be all sticky and loud and all that.”

Tsukishima pursed his lips again. “You don’t like kids?”

Kuroo raised his hands in defense. “No! I love kids! I just never thought you would, Tsukki.” He drank the last mouthful of his coffee. He seemed calmer, but was clearly still getting a kick out of all this. “So, a teacher... You really want to do that?”

Tsukishima took his time to answer. “...Yeah. I do,” He meant it, and Kuroo could tell.

“Well, I think you’d be great at anything you choose to do,” Kuroo said, smiling.

“Pff. Sure. I probably won’t make it far into the program.”

“I mean it. You’re great. You are!” He protested, glaring at Tsukishima’s reaction. “You’re so smart and quick on your feet, but - but you think you’re so tough when you’re not. If you really didn’t like me, you wouldn’t have gotten me medicine or given me your number. (“You wouldn’t leave me alone about it.” “That’s beside the point.”) Honestly. I bet you’d be good at anything if you just... try, Tsukki.”

Tsukishima scowled at that. “I don’t get why you pretend to care about this so much. it’s not a big deal.”

“ _Yes_ , it is.”

“ _Why_ are so hung up on this?”

“Because I know you could be the best, Tsukki! At anything.” Kuroo said loudly, his voice reverberating in the small laundry room. It was his turn to glare at Tsukishima, frustrated. He refused to break contact. Tsukishima opened his mouth -

_BING! BING! BING!_

The irritating dryer’s alarm went off, making them both jump. Tsukishima took the opportunity to stand up. He realized how much heat Kuroo had given off - how close they’d been to one another - and felt chilled in the bright room. Kuroo followed his lead, standing up as well. Tsukishima began to take his clothes out, studying the machine as Kuroo reached for the door. He hesitated, turning back to Tsukishima.

“I care about you - what you do. It’s your life; you have to take care of it.” He said it slowly, as if Tsukishima would take him more seriously if he did. He shut the door behind him, leaving Tsukishima in uncomfortably loud silence.

He rubbed the side of his face. “Sorry,” he mumbled.

He nearly fell over as Kuroo burst through the door, a huge smile on his face. “I FORGIVE YOU,” he yelled, slamming the door shut once more.

Tsukishima held a hand over his heart that was beating wildly. How in God’s name had he heard that?! Taking a deep breath, he tried to ignore Kuroo’s bright laugh fading outside the door. Now that Kuroo’d left, exhaust had hit him like a bag of bricks and he was struggling to finish folding his clothes. He leaned against the dryer once he had and checked his phone. 3:27 AM. He figured it was time for bed; definitely. He paused and looked up Kuroo’s contact. 

**from: tsukki!**

goodnight, kuroo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> title's from slowtown by twenty one pilots!!!!  
> also, published another krtsk fic the other day if you're interested in it! check it out


	6. there was nothing real to lose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> it's nice out, these kids could use a break every once in a while.
> 
> special guest appearance by my beautiful children bokuto and akaashi

Tsukishima held a hand up from the sun; an hour and a half of quiet voices in a dimly-lit room left him squinting at the far too bright light. After a moment his eyes adjusted and the world wasn’t a blur of white and green. He turned the volume on his headphones up a bit higher and began his small trek back to his dorm. 

He stifled a yawn and traipsed along the sidewalk. He figured anthropology could be interesting, but never with a teacher like that with a voice like that in a room like that. He’d be lying if he hadn’t killed a few minutes in there by counting how many more days he had to go there. At least he was done with classes for the week.

It really was nice out, though. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky and the wind picked up just enough to keep from getting too warm. The tulips that had been recently planted had bloomed and seemed to overrun the entire campus - _a bit of overkill, really._ Dozens of students had spread their blankets and bodies across the quad. Large trees of every variation were speckled across the quad as well, with a few people leaning against them. Tsukishima glanced over at the tree in the middle of the patch of grass between sidewalks and cocked his head. A tousled head of hair was showing from the other side of the base of the trunk. Tsukishima paused, pulled on the straps of his bags. He shook his head and walked over to Kuroo. It had to be him; no one else had hair like that. He figured he might as well try to spend time with him. It wasn’t that he was particularly annoying. His constant energy was just a bit... draining at times. 

He readied a greeting and stopped in his tracks. As he rounded the tree, he realized Kuroo was actually... Asleep. His head slightly bowed and his arms crossed, he looked fairly peaceful. Of course he was able to sleep soundly in the middle of a busy campus. Tsukishima shrugged to himself. He had already walked here. He dropped his bag next to the tree and sat down next to Kuroo, sighing as he did. He kept to himself for a minute, fiddled with his phone. After a while, he couldn’t help but notice the sketchbook open next to Kuroo’s hip. He scratched the back of his head and reached for it, keeping an eye on Kuroo. 

He skimmed through the pages quickly, surprised by how filled the book was by all of his sketches. They were... _really_ good, actually. The lines were fluid and natural. There were a few pages of faces that were well detailed. Tsukishima recognized a few of them as people he crossed paths with at school. There was a boy from his biology class.. And that girl that lived on the same floor as Kuroo. And was that... Him? Sure enough, the dark-rimmed glasses, the narrow eyes, short blond hair - that had to be him. Was he pouting? He hadn’t realized he did that. An irritating flush ran up his neck and he hurried to flip to another page. On this one, too - Tsukishima was smirking. And in this one, he was smiling. He snapped his attention to something else, anything else. He noticed a pattern in his sketches; Kuroo preferred drawing people and plants. Lots of figure studies and flowers, too. Tsukishima wondered when Kuroo ever even had the time to practice and draw so often. He began to study the sketches more intently, entranced. His finger hovered just over the page, tracing Kuroo’s lines in the air. 

\--

Kuroo slowly opened his eyes, seeming scarily alert for having just taken a nap. He didn’t even stir as he saw Tsukishima. Rather, he regarded him for a moment, contentment blossoming in his chest. He loved Tsukishima’s company, especially on such a beautiful day like today. The leaves dappled the sunlight on Tsukishima’s bare arms and his eyes didn’t look as harsh when he wasn’t ready to put up a defense. Kuroo couldn’t help but smile. Until he saw what was in Tsukishima’s hands. _Ah, shit_. Happiness was replaced with intense embarrassment. He debated what to do. Fully wake up? Finish his nap and pretend this never happened? He couldn't make Tsukishima unsee his sketches. There wasn’t much he could do about it now. Maybe he’d get lucky and Tsukishima would never, ever bring up the fact that he _drew him_. More than he probably realized. _As if._ He leaned back into the tree once more and sighed, closing his eyes. Tsukishima’s gentle breathing, the wind running across his face, kept him from worrying about it too much. It didn't take long before he quickly drifted back off to sleep.

\--

Tsukishima realized he’d been going through Kuroo’s sketchbook far too long for it to be curious. He snapped to his senses and felt guilty for being so invasive. He placed it back near Kuroo’s hip furthest from him, taking the chance to regard Kuroo for a minute. His mouth rested slightly agape now and Tsukishima prayed he wouldn't drool. He considered leaving, but... _It_ is _really beautiful out today..._ He thought about his options for a second, then positioned himself down further, his head now just barely above Kuroo’s. He hid a large yawn behind his hand. As his drowsiness began to take over, he allowed his head to use the tree for support. His music played sweetly, like his own personal lullaby. He started slightly when he felt extra weight push onto his right shoulder. He opened his eyes and couldn't help but feel a bit flustered when he saw Kuroo’s head resting on him. Maybe it was just today’s circumstances, but he allowed it, even placing his head on top of Kuroo’s. He knew his hair was a result of nasty bedhead, but it still surprised him how soft Kuroo’s hair was. The stray strands stuck up and tickled his face a bit, but.. He didn't really mind. His eyes closed once more as the song playing slowly faded to the next.

\--

“Oi!!! Akaashi! Isn’t that Kuroo?!” A booming voice rang across the quad. Most ignored it, used to the obnoxious voices and sounds that were bound to come with going to such a large university. The source of it came from a boisterous kid, rather, man, whose looks seemed to match his personality. He had, well... Interesting hair, to say the least. It stuck straight up in styled spikes, his hair a mixture of silver and black. He was well built and his dark skin was covered in sweat, clearly coming back from a workout of sorts. He seemed to run with leaps and bounds, rather than walk. However, the person walking with him - Akaashi - was keeping up without a problem. Probably because the other one ran back and forth several times, never losing Akaashi in his excited frenzy.

Akaashi had an especially calm demeanor compared to him. His black hair laid more naturally flat, rather than going against physics. He wasn’t sweaty like Bokuto. Instead, it looked like he’d just gotten out of a grueling class - unless that was his default face. He cocked his head and hummed in agreement. “Ah, yeah, I think you’re right.” Bokuto looked proud at this discovery being correct. He was completely indifferent to the addition of, “You’re too loud, though”.

“Oh. I know the person he’s with, too,” Akaashi murmured thoughtfully. Bokuto whipped around in amazement. 

“Who is it?!”

“Tsukishima... Kei, I think.”

“Oh!! How d’ya know him?” Bokuto tended to know most things about Akaashi; they were nearly inseparable.

“We met at a party. He helped me carry a drunk bonehead home.”

Bokuto’s face was blank.

“You, Bokuto. He helped me carry you home. After you passed out from drinking so much.”

He gave a rowdy laugh at that, turning back around to look at Kuroo. “Yeah, that seems to makes sense.”

“He’s polite, but I think he probably keeps to himself too much,” Akaashi continued. “I’m surprised he’d be so close to someone like Kuroo. What are you doing.”

Bokuto had walked to where Tsukishima and Kuroo were resting and pulled out his phone. “I’m just taking a picture! It’s fine, it’s fine. Just one, I promise,” he responded, waving away Akaashi with his hand. 

“Sorry, Kuroo...,” he sighed as he pulled Bokuto away from them. “Really, Bokuto.”

“Hey! D’ya think that’s the kid he’s always going on and on about?” He asked, turning his head to peer at them as they walked further away.

Akaashi thought of how Kuroo’s entire being became more animated when he talked about this kid he had a crush on, how he’d smile and tell about how “my crush always does his laundry at, like, 4 AM”.

A smile crept onto his face. “I sure hope so.”

\--

Kuroo rubbed his eyes the next morning, wishing volleyball practice wasn’t always so early. He remembered yesterday, remembered Tsukishima’s face once he woke up to Kuroo "listening to _my_ music with _my_ headphones." Remembered how he felt when he realized he recognized this song - a very romantic song, shit - and how hot his face got. And, of course, how Tsukishima looked when Kuroo pointed out he drools a little. A dopey grin spread across his lips despite feeling dead inside from being up before the sun had risen.

Kuroo rolled out of bed and checked his phone.

**(2) new messages**  
**from: BROKUTOOOOO  
lmao check this out**

Kuroo tilted his head as he tapped on the picture attached to Bokuto’s text.

An image of Kuroo and Tsukishima together filled his screen. Kuroo’s arms were crossed, mouth slightly open as he used Tsukishima’s shoulder for a pillow. Tsukishima had his head on top of Kuroo’s with his hands in his lap. While his headphones were still on well enough, his glasses were skewed dangerously along his face. Kuroo’s hair drew gentle lines across Tsukishima’s face.

**from: KURYOOOOO  
DUDE WTF.....**

**from: KURYOOOOO  
.....THANKS**

Kuroo tried to hold in a gleeful laugh as he changed his background.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bonjour i've returned yet again with another chapter  
> hope you enjoyed it!! in case you're curious, bokuto and kuroo are still in vball together and while kuroo's still just a sophomore (since he stayed behind a year to get enough money for college) akaashi and bokuto are juniors so bokuto always teases him about it
> 
> chapter title is from summer skeletons by radical face!!
> 
> also, can't remember if i said this or not but here's a krtsk playlist i made on 8tracks it's Very Gay  
> http://8tracks.com/sophalee/there-s-just-this-thing-about-ya


	7. it takes two to whisper quietly

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> tsukki's trying to pretend his stomach isn't constantly flipping(he's failing horribly); akaashi's making everyone die of embarrassment; bokuto is...bokuto. kuroo regrets so much

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HERE IT IS!!! THANKS FOR BEING PATIENT  
> i slipped some bokuaka in here; lately those two have made me... Super Gay  
> enjoy!!

Bokuto and Akaashi were already comfortably situated around the table in the living room. Akaashi busied himself with setting up the board game while talking softly with Bokuto, his words too muted to be heard from the kitchen. Tsukishima turned back to Kuroo, apprehension causing him to knit his brows. 

“Why are we here again?”

“Because they’re some of my best friends! And you’re my… friend, too, so… You should all try to get together, right? Besides, this was all Bokuto’s idea,” Kuroo added hastily to avoid taking full blame for how uncomfortable Tsukishima looked right now. He tugged on the hair on the nape of his neck; a nervous habit. Bokuto could be heard in the room over, laughing loudly and placing an affectionate kiss on Akaashi’s cheek. “Stop,” then a small laugh came from Akaashi. He batted away Bokuto’s wandering hands and stared at the cards in front of him. At least he was trying to focus on putting the game together. 

“They’re dating?” Tsukishima said, more to himself than Kuroo. He cocked his head, regarding them for a second. Although, now that he thought about it, he couldn’t say he was too surprised. They gave off a… vibe, of sorts. He didn’t mind, really, it just made him painfully acute to his feelings for Kuroo that were obviously nonexistent. 

“It’ll be fun!” Kuroo assured him, then led him by his arm into the room. Just lightly placing his fingers on Tsukishima’s elbow left him a bit flustered. It must have been because Akaashi’s careful eyes were watching them. He huffed. Akaashi always knew more than he let on. He sat across from Bokuto; Tsukishima took the spot to the left of him, across from Akaashi. Bokuto fist bumped Kuroo before settling back and (not so) subtly taking Akaashi’s hand in his.

“This is gonna be great!” Bokuto looked at them both with legitimate excitement. Tsukishima nodded in agreement while Kuroo let out a lighthearted chuckle. He fought to ignore how self-conscious he felt watching Bokuto and Akaashi interact. Bokuto winked at him and Kuroo shifted his weight so he could kick him under the low table.

Akaashi looked up from the cards he was dealing. “So, couple against couple, then?” He said quietly. Tsukishima reddened hopelessly – he swore he’d seen Akaashi smirk. Kuroo closed his eyes momentarily. _This is why they did this. To kill me._

Akaashi innocently turned back to Tsukishima and began to explain the rules to him, the only one who hadn’t played it before. He paid attention the best he could and tried his hardest to not get lost in all the weird rules and terms. Kuroo switched between studying Tsukishima to watching Akaashi, a weak attempt to keep from blatantly staring at Tsukishima. At that moment, Akaashi made a strange analogy and Tsukishima couldn’t help but give a nervous giggle at it. Kuroo stiffened – he didn’t even know Tsukishima _could_ giggle. Kuroo watched the two of them interact, ever intrigued with how smooth Tsukishima’s voice. His ears burned once he realized he’d been watching him laugh for far too long – no, he’d been watching his lips this whole time. An unwarranted thought about kissing them just about slapped him across the face and he bit down, hard, on his own bottom lip. He hurried to shuffle his cards and ignored the momentary pain. Akaashi paused from his explanation to glance at Kuroo. “That really is a bad habit, Kuroo. You’re going to bite your lip raw if you’re not careful.”

“Yeah, man. No one’s gonna wanna kiss you with those sad lips,” Bokuto agreed, leaning back in his chair. “Right, Tsukki?” He grinned fully in his direction.

A disconcerted correction of “It’s Tsukishima” was drowned out by Kuroo’s groans.

“Oh, my god. Mom, Dad, shut up,” Kuroo’s muffled plea came after he put his face on the table. Tsukishima could see the pink dusting his ears and neck from that angle and he busied himself with inspecting his stack of cards.

\--

“Are they always like that?” Tsukishima finally managed to ask once they’d left Akaashi’s apartment. Bokuto had fallen asleep after just a few energetic rounds and they opted to watch a movie instead. (They’d left Bokuto on the table with a blanket and pillow. Tsukishima was convinced it would break.) Despite the embarrassing jabs at the two of them, he thought he had an interesting personality, albeit tiring. He could see how he and Kuroo got along so well. 

“No,” Kuroo mumbled, pouting to himself. What an embarrassing night. _I guess I kinda walked into that one, didn’t I,_ he thought. “They just like to embarrass me. They’re like family, considering how far we go back.” He saw Tsukishima’s lips turn upward. _His lips..._ Kuroo gnawed on his own again and felt a shock rush down his spine. 

They both opted to look at the moon rather than each other. It was full tonight, surrounded by sprinkles of stars. It was a clear night, and a quiet one too – after all, it was nearly finals week and one in the morning. The wind wasn’t awful, but it was persistent and made the daffodils sprouting consistently bend. Kuroo glanced back at Tsukishima and noticed the way his mouth opened slightly when he looked up at the night sky. He pursed his lips before looking away again.

“Say, Tsukki, school’s almost out.”

“Mmm,” he hummed in agreement and pulled his sleeves past his palms. 

“Oh! Are you cold?” Kuroo lost his train of thought and nudged him, watched for a reaction. Tsukishima straightened up, a bit embarrassed.

“I’m fine, thanks.” Of course he was freezing. He was always cold. Besides, it was only spring and he’d forgotten that warm days didn’t equal warm nights and left his room without a sweater. He pushed down a shiver.

“No, no! I can’t have you getting a cold with finals coming up!” Kuroo protested before stripping off his volleyball jacket. He held it up by the shoulders and wiggled his eyebrows at Tsukishima. He sighed and let Kuroo pull it through one arm, then his other. He tugged on the collar and regarded it for a moment before offering a small, “thank you”.

“Of course!” Kuroo smiled so wide his eyes nearly shut. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he started walking again. An uncomfortable silence started to settle. “Is, uh, the- is my jacket warm enough?” He tried after a minute.

Tsukishima looked away from Kuroo. It was really warm, actually. What was he, a walking furnace? He played with his fingers, a bit frozen. His mind began to wander. Would Kuroo’s fingers warm his own easily? _Stop it._ “It’s fine, but-“

“Don’t worry about me! I’m perfect over here.”

“But you’re only wearing a shirt…”

Kuroo laughed at that and kicked a small rock in front of him. It took a lot to make him feel chilled. Besides, his hands always felt far too hot for him. How would they feel if they held Tsukishima’s cold ones? Ideal? Even hotter? They’d have to be perfect – _Stop. Shut up._

“Er, like I was saying… School’s almost out. Are you… staying here? I mean, uh, do you live near the university?”

Tsukishima thought about it for a moment. “No, I’ll probably go back to Miyagi. Where my family lives. Why? Do you live near?”

Kuroo fiddled with the hair on the back of his neck again. “Kinda. About 45 minutes or so. I’m from Tokyo, after all. I guess I was just curious if we’d end up seeing each other over break.”

He wanted to go crawl into the ditch by the quad they just passed. 

“You want to hang out over break,” Tsukishima drawled out. Kuroo nodded, then shook his head.

“I mean, it was just an idea. It’s nothing.”

“I have a brother that lives in Tokyo.” The words came out of his mouth before he’d realized what he was going to say. “So, I could, maybe…” _Oh, my God, shut up Kei._ Kuroo perked up, obviously thrilled. There was literally a skip in his step. Tsukishima would be lying if he said he hadn’t thought about what they – he – would do over the summer, though. When did he grow so attached to him? If anything, Kuroo attached himself onto Tsukishima and refused to let go.

“We’re here,” Kuroo announced as they came to a stop in front of the building doors. He rocked back and forth on his heels. He couldn’t stall any longer. He braced himself for the worst and leaned forward, planting his lips right below Tsukishima’s glasses. It was a chaste kiss on his cheek; Kuroo’s courage probably couldn’t last any longer than that. He immediately moved back and saw Tsukishima jerk backwards in surprise. He brought a hand up to his cheek and stared at Kuroo, his face on fire.

The world paused and his mind started to fire possibility after possibility. Was it a dream, somehow? No. There was no way. He would’ve woken up by now. Maybe this was some sort of awful joke, or dare. It was realistic enough. Kuroo looked mortified enough. _A joke…_ His heart sank and he looked for some other reason, any other reason. He raced through a few more options, each making less sense than the other. Then – _Maybe he kissed you because he likes you, idiot._

That was the most ridiculous of all.

The world resumed.

“Well… See you around,” Kuroo choked out before quite literally sprinting to the nearest building and collapsing around the corner against its wall. Clutching his chest, he sank down to the ground. He immediately doubled in on himself with every intent to disappear into nothingness. Tsukishima had looked horrified, even appalled. This was exactly what he was afraid of; confusion, embarrassment, maybe even disgust. Resting his crossed arms on his knees, he peered out at the daffodils by his feet and sighed, cursing himself for taking such a ridiculous risk. He took a moment to close his eyes and started to shake from the cold finally seeping into his thin clothing. When he opened them again, he saw a pair of shoes next to the flowers. He shot his head up and saw Tsukishima looming over him.

“Ah… Hey, Tsukki,” Kuroo offered weakly. Tsukishima was a bit shocked at how unenergetic he was, how uncharacteristic it was of him.

“You do remember the fact that we live in the same dorm, right?”

Kuroo tensed and stammered a shaky response. “Ye – we – of course I do...” His eyes darted around, looking anywhere but up at him.

“Your jacket,” he stated softly, tilting his head. Kuroo met his gaze, watched how his lids began to fall as he looked down at the ground. “It’s nice.” Tsukishima moved to stand over Kuroo, then, regarding him and hoping his blush had gone down by now. Though, considering what he was about to do, there wasn’t much point. His heart pounded against his ribcage as he leaned down. It felt like it took a century. He caught every movement Kuroo made – first, his eyes squinted in confusion, then widened in realization. His weight shifted so he could raise a hand and cup it against Tsukishima’s face. His head tilted upwards, eager to fill the air between their lips. He fleetingly bit down on his lip and Tsukishima tried not to burn up into nothingness right then and there. Every time he chewed on his lip – when Tsukishima was around, when he wasn’t, when he wasn’t paying attention – was this what he was thinking about? How often had Kuroo thought of kissing him..? Before he started to think about it too much, Tsukishima closed the gap so their mouths could meet. Kuroo’s lips were soft, like he’d expected them to be. He heard himself make a small hum in response to the kiss and instantly felt horrified afterwards. If Kuroo noticed, he didn’t make any intention to mention it. He pulled away after a beat, dazed, unsure of what he wanted now, unsure of what to do next. Kuroo kept his eyes drawn longer than him. When he did open his eyes, though, they were full of disbelief and joy. He swore that Kuroo was tearing up. He figured it had to be from the cold wind stinging their faces just then. Tsukishima took a moment to recollect himself, then, “You know, for all that anticipation, I figured there’d be more than just a peck on the cheek…”

Kuroo laughed, rather, he giggled like a child. His palm still rested on Tsukishima’s cheek, and he used his arm to lean his head on. “Tsukki, you can’t just do that, you can’t just _kiss_ me. You can’t just _kiss me_ and say some embarrassing line like that afterwards,” he said between bursts of laughter. His chest felt tight, overflowing with ecstasy. Tsukishima shrugged, though he was beginning to beam himself. 

Kuroo tilted his head back again, caught his gaze. “Tsukishima,” he began. “May I kiss you?”

Tsukishima rolled his eyes, but nodded. Kuroo gently pulled him down a bit, giving him a soft kiss. There was no desperate tint of frenzy behind it. He kissed him because he was overjoyed, because he really hadn’t messed up, because he could finally kiss a boy he’d fallen for at two am on a Sunday night months and months ago. Tsukishima laughed into the kiss and his heart stopped.

Kuroo quietly let go with a quiet hum in the back of his throat, wanting more kisses but knowing he was already jubilant with just this.

Tsukishima huffed, more of a breath than a sigh. He reached down for another kiss, but hesitated, staring at Kuroo. Standing like this was really uncomfortable. Now that Kuroo had pulled away, the aches in his back were becoming more acute. _Fuck it._ He held his breath and brought himself to the ground, moving himself until he was sitting in Kuroo’s lap. Never had he planned on spending his night straddling him, but here he was and he couldn’t picture himself doing anything else. Kuroo watched him, wide-eyed. “Tsukki…”

Tsukishima fidgeted with the teeth of the jacket. “Shut up.”

Kuroo grinned wide for the umpteenth time that night. “I’m gonna kiss you again. And no laughing this time, ‘kay?”

“No promises,” Tsukishima murmured before cupping Kuroo’s face in his hands. Kuroo’s own hands slid down to his waist and rested there. Tingling waves of sensation worked its way from each of Kuroo’s fingers to his spine every few seconds; Tsukishima was acutely aware of the pressure on his hips and where each hand had splayed out on him. They kissed again… And again… And again… Eventually their kisses formed an urgency and they began to meet each other a bit rougher, a little harder.

“Tsukki,” Kuroo said between a kiss. Tsukishima hummed, acknowledging him.

“Do you – know – how long – I’ve wanted – to do this?” Kuroo asked, planting kisses on his forehead, his cheeks, his nose, his neck, his collarbones, oh god, his collarbones.

“A while, apparently,” he replied breathlessly. 

Kuroo nodded, smiling against Tsukishima’s shoulder. He raised his hand from Tsukishima’s waist up to the nape of his neck, playing with his hair fondly. Tsukishima rested his head against Kuroo’s, grateful for his mind to silence itself for once. Kuroo felt his ear and jolted upright, startling him.

“Your ears are freezing.”

“Always are,” he puffed his cheeks slightly, a bit annoyed that Kuroo felt a need to point it out.

“I need to get you inside.”

Tsukishima laughed through his nose. He had to be joking. “Kuroo-“

“I’m not gonna be the reason you get a cold! C’mon, let’s go.” He poked at Tsukishima’s sides, prompting him to get up. He followed suit and they quickly made their way back to the dorms. They walked back in silence. After a moment, Tsukishima falteringly pulled at Kuroo’s shirt. Kuroo smiled and took Tsukishima’s hand in his, gasping at the momentary iciness. “You have awful circulation.”

“Oh, shut up.”

Kuroo worked on warming them up as they walked up to Tsukishima’s level. They reached his door and he started to take off his jacket. Kuroo stopped him.

“Hold onto it. I mean it,” he added when he saw the skepticism on Tsukishima’s face. “I’ll get it later. I still have your sweater, anyways.” Tsukishima suddenly remembered all that time he’d spent looking for it last month and glared at Kuroo. He gave a nervous chuckle, shrugging.

He leaned in to give Tsukishima a good night kiss. This one was deeper than the quick pecks they’d given each other outside. It left Tsukishima feeling more than breathless and he was dizzier than he’d care to admit. Kuroo kissed each of his fingers, then turned to leave.

“Kuroo,” he blurted. Kuroo tilted his head. “Um... One more.” Kuroo happily obliged with a breathy laugh, kissing his nose for good measure.

This time, the plea was much more hushed.

“One more.”

“Anything for you,” Kuroo murmured.

“Don’t say embarrassing things like that,” Tsukishima responded once he pulled away.

Kuroo face split into a smile, the largest one yet. “Good night, Tsukishima.”

“Good night, Kuroo.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> god knows how long that exchange of "one more" went on
> 
>  
> 
> we're starting to reach the end!! there might only be one more chapter after this one. it was a lot of fun and tbh you guys were the reason i kept with it!!  
> the title's from da vinci by weezer, aka one of my top krtsk songs  
> feel free to comment!!!
> 
> EDIT: i changed the title! it's from vanilla twilight by owl city i am a SAP  
> YET ANOTHER EDIT: i realized i never marked this series as completed. i hope you all enjoyed this! thank you for sticking to the end. you can always reach me on my tumblr/twitter! (dopadee.tumblr.com/ @dopadee) :^)


End file.
